The heat wasn’t the only thing rising in July. The World Cup crowned its champion, the fireworks flew, and the ad world made some noise of its own. Meta opened its ads server so AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude can build campaigns directly, while Apple banned home services from Maps ads and handed that spend back to Google. EA made its case that in-game billboards are advertising’s next frontier, and The Trade Desk opened always-on access to Netflix inside Kokai. Plenty to get into, so let’s dig in.
In the News
No Assembly Required: Meta Opens Its Ads Server to Any AI Agent
On July 16th Meta opened its ads MCP server to any developer with a Meta app, meaning an AI tool can now talk straight to Meta’s ad system without the custom integration code the platform used to demand. And this is the write-capable server, not the read-only Developer Tools version from late June. Connected agents can build and edit campaigns, ad sets, and ads, manage Custom Audiences and catalogs, pull segmented performance reporting, and run A/B and lift tests. Agencies managing client accounts need one extra step: submit the app for review and request Advanced Access on the ads_mcp_management permission. Google opened its Ads API server back in October 2025 and Amazon followed in November, so this is Meta catching up, not breaking ground.
No Vacancy: Apple Maps Slams the Door on Home Services Ads
Apple is finally bringing ads to Apple Maps this summer, but not everyone made the guest list. Its updated ad policy, effective July 14th, bans home services outright, meaning plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs, roofers, pest control, and general contractors are locked out before the product even launches. Bail bonds and crypto ATMs got the same cold shoulder, while medical ads land in a case-by-case limbo. It’s a pointed contract with Google, where home services is one of the biggest local ad categories going. Apple seems to be betting that a cleaner, more curated Maps, with one ad per results and physical storefronts only, protects user trust better than chasing local lead-gen dollars. For home service brands, that means your local budget stays firmly in Google’s court for now, which makes Google’s LSA shake-up even more worth watching.
Gaming’s Next Ad Frontier?
Electronic Arts (EA) is stepping up its ad-tech efforts with the launch of “EA Advertising,” a new platform designed to bring dynamic, real-time branded placements directly into gameplay. By focusing on natural fits—like targeted stadium billboards in sports franchises like Madden—EA aims to tap into high-value Gen X and Millennial audiences without disrupting the player experience.
With 3.5 billion global gamers currently making up only 5% of global ad spend, the expansion into console and PC environments represents a massive untapped revenue stream. If successful, non-disruptive ad networks like EA’s could eventually help offset skyrocketing game development costs and lower the barrier to entry for players.
Vendor Updates
Growing Up Fast: ChatGPT Ads Bolts on the Grown-Up Tools
OpenAI is speed-running the ad platform maturity curve. The latest drop to ChatGPT Ads Manager adds conversion-optimized (oCPC) bidding that steers spend toward clicks likely to convert, average daily budgets with automatic pacing, geographic exclusions, AppsFlyer and Adjust integrations for app measurement, automatic advanced matching for sharper attribution and a bulk API for managing campaigns at scale. Basically a checklist of the table-stakes features advertisers already expect from Google and Meta. None of it is flashy, and that’s kind of the point. OpenAI is quietly closing the gap between “interesting experiment” and “real performance channel,” which means the excuses to keep ChatGPT off your testing plans are running thin. If you were waiting for the tooling to catch up before running conversion campaigns here, that wait is just about over!
Google Sharpens Brand Measurement, For a Price
Google is rolling out Enhanced Brand Lift to more advertisers, giving upper-funnel campaigns a more sensitive way to prove they actually moved the needle. The standard study picks up lifts of 2 percent or more, while the enhanced version can catch lifts as small as 1.2 percent and boosts your odds of detecting a positive result by around 60%. The catch is the price-tag, since enhanced studies need roughly three times the budget to pull it off. That math makes this a tool for bigger, well-funded campaigns rather than a casual add-on. Still, in a world where every awareness dollar gets questioned, harder evidence that brand spend is working is exactly the kind of ammo that keeps upper-funnel budgets alive. Just make sure the campaign is big enough to earn the extra spend before you commit.
Local Services Ads Pack Up for Google Ads
Google is officially retiring the standalone Local Services Ads dashboard and folding LSAs into Google Ads as a new Performance Max for pay-per-lead campaign type. The phased migration kicks off in August 2026 with a small group of US advertisers across home services, pet care, wellness, and education, then rolls out through 2027. The good news is that most of what makes LSAs tick stays put — you still pay per valid lead, keep the Google Screened badge, and only show on Search and Maps, now with tighter Google Business Profile syncing.
The catches worth flagging: bidding shifts to a campaign-level Target CPA, so plumbing and HVAC leads share one target unless you split them into separate campaigns, and your historical performance reports will not make the move. Export that LSA data before your migration notice lands, because once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Google’s Display Campaigns Have a New Home!
Google Display campaigns will be moving to Demand Gen (as Google Display Network in Demand Gen). As workflow changes, advertisers’ ability to serve on Google’s Display Network does not. Inventory expansion will reach across GDN, YouTube (including Shorts), Discover, Gmail, and Maps (in Beta) with a single campaign type.
Google has already started its phased rollout of the migration tool which allows eligible advertisers to begin moving their existing Display campaigns to GDN on Demand Gen. Migrated campaigns will only carry over 42 days of performance history, with a 1-2 day learning timeframe. As campaigns are migrated to Demand Gen, advertisers will gain expanded inventory, improved Lookalike segments, and format segmentation reporting.
The Trade Desk Expands Access to Netflix Inventory in Kokai
Reaching Netflix’s audience just got easier. The Trade Desk has officially added Netflix to its Sellers and Publishers 500+ marketplace within Kokai. Previously restricted to programmatic guaranteed or 1:1 private marketplace deals, Netflix is now available as an always-on marketplace option—giving advertisers direct access to its 250 million+ global monthly active users with no minimum spend or extra workflow setup required. To tap in, simply select Sellers and Publishers 500+ under the Forward (FWD) tile in Kokai.
Google Ads Updates Smart Bidding for Budget-Capped Campaigns
In July, Google announced they are updating how target-based bid strategies (such as Target CPA and Target ROAS) operate when a campaign has a “Limited by budget” status.
This update will bring about the following key changes:
- Strict Target Adherence: Currently, budget-constrained campaigns using target-based bidding often “overperform” (for example, achieving an actual CPA of $5 even though your target is set to $10). Starting August 17, 2026, Google’s system will deliver results much closer to your actual target ($10 in this example) rather than remaining overly efficient.
- Predictable Budget Scaling: Once this update takes effect, adjusting your daily budget will cause fewer performance fluctuations, making campaign scaling more consistent.
- Channel Shifts: Multi-channel campaign types (like Performance Max and Demand Gen) may experience shifts in how traffic is distributed across different placements or channels.
Campaign types that will be impacted include: Search, Shopping, Performance Max, and Demand Gen. To keep recent performance/efficiency within these campaign types, Advertisers should use the Bid Target Adjustment Tool to lower or adjust set targets to match actual recent performance.
